Day: November 19, 2013

taped 2013-10-15 @ Arena Coliseo GuadalajaraLuna Mágica, Marcela, Silueta vs Amapola, Princesa Blanca, Princesa Sugheit: Only aired because everyone was on auto pilot. Not a good match, not really interesting in anyway. Between the rest of CMLL’s Sunday show and the Guadalajara one, there surely were more interesting matches to be had, but what we had was a lackadaisical luchadora match.

Valiente crushes Ultimo Guerrero

taped 2013-10-20 @ Arena ColiseoValiente vs Último Guerrero: Straight up Ultimo Guerrero match, with Valiente plugged into the opponent spot. He did fine and the crowd was into him but it really wasn’t about him. There’s been a lot less singles UG matches of late and it’s been a pleasant change. UG still has no plans of changing how he does singles matches – not even the order of the moves in the third fall – so at least they’re giving chances to other people instead of doing these. This seemed a little longer and little better live, but neither version is worth going out of your way to see.

can’t believe this didn’t work!

Atlantis, La Máscara, La Sombra vs Averno, Ephesto, Mephisto: This seems like a real match live, but was edited down to not be much of one for the first two falls and then total autopilot for most the last two falls. I guess it was enough, but it was also very nothing special.. Crowd cheering more for Mascara than Sombra is feels so wrong but happened here. Unclear if there was a plan for a Mephisto/Mascara match the following week which got scuttled, or if this was just usual a CMLL random finish.

Like this:

Theory #1: Psyco Ripper is a current CMLL luchador getting a new name.

CMLL usually keeps people who are getting new characters away for around a month, so they’re forgotten a bit before they show up with the new name. A list of male luchadors who’ve been away for at least two weeks (number is days since last match.)

I’m thinking Cholo is not getting a midcard gimmick, as much as the Cholo fan club might dream. We can rule out Ramstein, Robin, Leono, Apocalispis and Inquisidor for similar reasons. Mr. Aguila and Rey Bucanero are not getting new characters at this point of their career. Morphosis obviously would like to be Histeria and it seems unlikely he’ll change names outside of going back to that name. That leaves two names:

Psicosis II – Psyco Ripper is not far off and it’s always possible he lost the rights to the name. It’s also possible someone decided they couldn’t put him in a credible mask match with that name but maybe thought a new one would work. The problem here is he’s in Puebla Monday under the Psicosis name, but CMLL internal confusion is not new.

Diamante – went home seven weeks ago and hasn’t been heard from since. Diamante’s career has nose dived since he took up the El Santo outfit. There’s a half dozen tecnicos who’ve passed him on the pecking order and he’s regressed in the ring. CMLL was high enough on Diamante to feature him on the first FantasticaManias, so maybe there’s still someone who holds him in enough esteem to give him a new chance as a rudo. It may not work, but it’s not hard to try.

Theory #2: Psyco Ripper is a new person

Trainee? Family member who is getting a spot to make other family members happy? A Black Abyss-like indy guy getting a good spot here? (Unlikely.) A foreigner? (More unlikely.) There are a lot of possibilities. Most of them aren’t likely to be any good.

Psyco Ripper will be revealed tomorrow if he’s a new person. Any new guy who’s important enough to jump right into the midcard will certainly be required to be at the crazily important bodybuilding contest, and is probably a participant. That seems to be how CMLL works.

They’re not using the Furor name for these shows any more (though it’s the same group behind them; they just don’t have a name.) Weird to see Eterno slip thru; I’d imagine CMLL pays so little attention to AAA that they didn’t even realize he was on AAA TV now.

Tonight’s CMLL Arena Mexico show has Mascara Dorada defending the NWA Welterweight Championship against Volador Jr. In CMLL Gaceta quotes, Dorada wants a mask vs hair match regardless of the outcome, while Volador thinks they should just combine the stips in this match to get it out of the way. (CMLL Gaceta also warns this match may cause cardiac problems.) CMLL title changes in the summer are planned around the Universal tournament, and CMLL title changes in the late fall seem similarly planned around the FantasticaMania tour. Both guys are on that tour, but a title change tonight could be the set up for a rematch (and another title change) in January. This is a pretty even match which always leads me to take the status quo, but you should not be surprised if the NWA Welterweight title changes hands tonight.

The rest of the card is a toss up at best. There was a good sounding Diamante Azul, Delta & Titan versus Hijos del Averno match on the card, but Mephisto and Averno are now replaced by Terrible & Pierroth. (Dalys also replaces Comandante.) Luchadors in tomorrow’s bodybuilding contest will probably be more focused on whatever they need to get into peak shape for that and not as much on tonight’s matches.

Over in Guadalajara, Sombra faces Ultimo Guerrero in his last match before the NJPW tag team tournament.

photo by Eric

Ultimo Guerrero and Atlantis were among the luchadors working a show in New York this weekend. Reader Eric got to talk to Atlantis at the show:

I told him that he was in the Observer HOF. He was amazed on how well he did in the voting in comparison to Villano 3, LA Park, Blue Panther, etc. He said a mask VS. mask match with Ultimo Guerrero is going to happen, hinted possibly in March.

No IWRG Sunday lineup yet, but they say it’ll be a Caravana de Campeons show. They may not have announced it because Thursday could be setting the title matches – Douki/Celestial versus Impossible for the lightweight, Golden Magic versus Canis Lupus for the Welterweight, FdT and/or Veneno & Alan Etreme for the tag team title. Dinamic Black isn’t going to be back, so they could vacate that title and have a title match. Piratas haven’t been around so probably not that trios titles (or the middleweight), but maybe the Gringos title?

R de Rudo says this is another Brazo de Plata anniversary show. 3/4 look like a lot of fun if those guys want to have a good match on a Saturday match. This lineup had to be put together long enough ago where Dallys as a tecnica made sense, so Demus’ appearance is probably a hopeful outcome and not confirmed.